


Agony's Our Friend

by notcool



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Evil Pitch Black (Guardians of Childhood), Hurt Jack, Pitch Black has no clue what he's walked into, Pitch needs friends too!, Wait no he doesn't, take those friends away before he destroys the world with them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-02-09 14:12:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 15,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12889605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notcool/pseuds/notcool
Summary: Jack meets Agony, a friendly spirit, and the very embodiment of pain. Not that she tells him that. Agony likes to stay out of the way, but when Pitch returns, she finds herself stepping up to save not only the guardians, but all the children of the world.





	1. Agony is Born

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this story playing in my head for ages now, and finally decided to write it. Also posted on fanfiction.net

She gasped as she took in a breath, and her voice echoed in the eerily silent forest.

It was dark but her eyes could see perfectly. Smells seemed to create pictures of the world around in her mind, a swath of color, a perfect picture of extreme accuracy she could settle over the picture her eyes gave her, making everything clearer, revealing things that her eyes alone could never have seen.

This was all new.

All of it.

The trees, the ground, the sky, the fog… her.

She was… new?

She tried to think back, but there was nothing to find. Nothing before this precise moment, standing in this forest.

No parents, no house, no Thanksgiving dinners around the family table… people were supposed to have those, weren't they?

So where was her's?

She looked up to the moon - it was no more than a wisp of white in the sky. By next night it would be a new moon for sure.

But that little white seemed to be looking at her. Coaxing her. Calling her.

" _Hello,"_  It seemed to say.

She could find no voice to answer with. Instead she raised her hand, offering the moon a little wave.

" _Hello, Agony."_

Agony? It was hardly a name.

She searched the moon further, confused, and honestly a little scared.

"A-Agony?" She managed.

" _Yes, Agony."_ The moon agreed, and it seemed to glow warmly in greeting.

She looked down at herself. At the tattered robes that clung to her sickly slender frame. At the bare feet, at the long toes that curled into the earth for what little stability it could provide.

She looked back to the moon. "Wha-what am I?"

" _You are Agony."_ The moon hummed. " _And you are alive again. Go along, young one. Go see what the world may offer you this time."_

And that warm, comforting glow faded, and the sense that the moon was watching her, coaxing her, calling her with it.

She again looked herself over.

Her skin was deathly pale, and hugged her bones dangerously. When she felt of her face she found her eyes were sunken slightly into her skull, as if she were a fruit left uneaten too long that had begun to rot.

Her lips were dry, and she realized she was thirsty.

She sniffed the air and tasted the distant scent of water on her dry tongue.

She glanced up to the moon again. "I do not understand why I am here." She told it, not sure if it was listening. "But this name you place upon me cannot be a good one. I may not know what I am but I know it is more than pain. It is more than confusion. It is more than… this!" She gestured at herself as a whole.

The moon did not reply.

Shaking her head, she went in search of water.


	2. A Boy Named Jamie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agony meets Jamie

Aggie walked at a leisurely pace through the hospital, trailing her fingers along the railing in the hallway, peering in the rooms she passed.

It was night, and while the hospital was awake, many of the patients were asleep.

She passed a room with a little boy in it, but he was not asleep. He had the light on beside his hospital bed, and was sketching in a notebook as fast as his broken arm would let him move.

Aggie padded into the room, coming around to the boy's bedside to see the snowflakes the child was adding to his artwork.

It was a good drawing for a boy of certainly no more than ten, the figures well shaped, the faces round with pointed chins, the lines carefully placed to add a hint of reality into the drawing.

Aggie traced one of the two pencil figures with her finger, but the boy did not notice. No one ever noticed Aggie, anyhow, so she did not expect him to.

One figure was obviously the boy himself, and she smiled as she recognized the crooked staff the taller figure held. They boy had managed to capture the trickster's grin perfectly.

"Jack Frost, huh?" Aggie asked the boy, though she did not expect a reply. "You know him?" She chuckled under her breath. "He's a winter sprite, you know. I guess that's why I don't see much of him. Sprites don't like being indoors much. Everything is too controlled for their nature."

The boy chewed his pencil eraser a moment, then began adding a third figure to his drawing.

Aggie watched as the new character rose to a very short height, round with short arms and legs, and very pointy hair.

"Ah, Sandman." Aggie said. "You know him too?" She watched the concentration on the boy's face another moment. "You know, little one, if you'd go to sleep like you're supposed to be you could be getting dreams from the real Sandman. His dreams are always the best at nighttime, you know."

But the boy did not hear her, and continued decorating his picture.

Aggie watched as he added yet a fourth character, taller than the rest, and she recognized it before it was half finished.

"Ooh, the Easter Bunny!" She cheered. "You must be quite the trooper, getting a look at three guardians! Most kids are lucky to hear the slightest sleigh bells on Christmas Eve… what's your name?"

The boy did not hear her, and did not answer, and Aggie padded across the room to the clipboard hanging on the wall.

"Jamie." She read. "Jamie. I know that name." She looked back to the boy on the bed. "Your name is… Jamie! Oh, Leprechaun told me about you! You're that little boy that just wouldn't stop believing, oh you're special, aren't you?"

She bent to the boy's level, searching his determined eyes as he scribbled artfully on his page.

"Well how'd you end up here, then?" Aggie frowned. "I thought you lived in Burgees, near Jack Frost's lake…"

Again she crossed to the clipboard. When the first page did not hold what she wanted she pulled it off its hook and flipped through the pages.

"Broken arm, some cracked ribs, dislocated shoulder… severe concussion?" She cast Jamie a look. "This was only two days ago! You should be resting!"

But again, the boy heard nothing.

With a sigh Aggie let the clipboard hang from its chain and crossed to the window. Through the glass she saw Sandman's dream tendrils slithering through the city.

They were pretty thick - there was a chance the Sandman was actually here and not just sending out dreams from his Warren.

Aggie opened the window, and chilled autumn air rushed in the room. But before she could jump out, Jamie threw his art aside and scrambled out of bed.

"Jack?" He cried, clinging to the windowsill and looking out hopefully. "Jack, is that you?"

Aggie smiled weakly. "You really are as close to him as they say." She said. "Sorry, kiddo, just me." She waved a hand in his face, but, as expected, he didn't notice.

Aggie sighed. "I'll go see what Sandy can brew up for you, eh?" She patted the air where the top of his head would be if she could touch it. "Go get back in bed now, Jamie. Get healed up so you can go play with your little winter sprite."

Maybe her message drifted into the boy's subconscious, or maybe he just had the same thought at the same time, but Jamie gave a little disappointed frown and went back to his bed.

Once he was back under his covers, Aggie hopped out the window.

She glided through the streets of the city, following a tendril of dream sand back to its creator.

The Sandman himself hovered over the edge of the city on a cloud of dream sand, fashioning dreams and tossing them out over the buildings to go find sleeping children.

Aggie knew to approach Sandy from the front. He scared easy, as she had learned a few decades past when she went to greet him and almost got shot out of the sky.

Sandy saw her as she settled on the edge of his cloud, and he paused the stingray he was building to flash a question mark over his head.

Aggie gave a little smile. "Yeah, I know, it's been forever."

The question mark flashed again, and Aggie nodded.

"Yeah, its just… your little friend, that kid, Jamie." She said. "I don't know what's up with him, but he's in the hospital down there, and the chart says he came in yesterday with a lot of problems including a concussion."

Sandy blinked, tilting his head. Another question mark.

"Well, he's staying up drawing." Aggie shrugged. "Just figured it can't be good for healing, if you, I dunno, want to send some extra strong dreams his way or…"

Sandy blinked another moment, then nodded.

Aggie stood there awkwardly for another moment still. "Well," she said. "I guess I'll leave you to it then." She gave a little wave and hopped off his dream cloud, drifting back to the hospital.

When she reentered Jamie's room, the boy was sound asleep, snoring softly, curled around his notebook. Dream sand danced around his head in the shape of snowflakes and Jack Frost.

Aggie smiled and gently tugged the notebook from his grasp. The boy had managed to add the Tooth Fairy to his sketch before falling asleep.

Aggie propped the artwork up on the nightstand and admired it a moment more before leaving his room, back to the rest of the hospital.


	3. Jack Frost

Nearly a year had gone by since Aggie had seen Jamie in the hospital, and it was as autumn was nearing its end that Aggie decided to go visit the boy. See how he was, and if he had drawn anything new for her to admire.

She didn't much care for the outdoors, but she found the trip flying across the twilight landscape refreshing.

Jamie's window was open.

Aggie supposed he kept it open in case Jack decided to visit. She landed with soft steps on the boy's wood floor and smiled as his slumbering form in the bed.

The greyhound curled at his feet looked up at her entry. It blinked at her tiredly, and Aggie patted its head gently.

Apparently content that Aggie was no threat, the dog snuggled back against its boy and closed its eyes again.

Aggie explored the bedroom.

Jamie's walls were covered in his artwork, held in place with everything from thumbtacks to wads of Play-doh.

Most of the pictures were of Jamie and Jack Frost, though others contained North, or Sandy, or the Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny.

Aggie's smile broadened as she found his sketch from the hospital. He had added North into it since she'd seen it last, but she knew it was the same one.

She plucked a pencil from Jamie's nightstand and drew a little smiley face next to where the boy had signed the art.

She doubted he would ever notice it, but it warmed her heart to leave that little mark with him.

She tapped her chin with the pencil, lost in thought as her eyes scanned the drawings plastered over the walls, and she did not notice the approaching scent until it was overwhelming.

She turned just as Jack Frost alighted on the windowsill.

His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of her, standing in the shadows, and he raised his staff. "Who are you?" He demanded.

Aggie blinked a moment. She had heard a lot of things about Jack Frost, none of which described him as confrontational, but she supposed Jamie was special enough to warrant out of character behavior.

"Oh, I'm a friend, I promise." Aggie said. "My name's Aggie. I just wanted to see how Jamie was doing since I last saw him."

Jack's frown deepened. "Jamie never told me about any other spirits."

"Oh, he can't see me." Aggie said. "I haven't had believers for centuries. But its better that way. I just do my job in peace."

Jack bit his lip, but lowered his staff a little. "When did you meet Jamie?"

"When he was in the hospital," Aggie said. "About a year ago." She looked back to the picture with her signature smiley face in the corner, and smiled. "He was drawing this." She brushed the page with light fingers.

Jack floated into the room and landed by Jamie's bed. "You said your name was Aggie? I have never heard of you before."

Aggie shrugged. "I keep to myself. And I don't spend much time outdoors. I'm not surprised, really. The guardians don't spend much time in hospitals, either."

Jack tilted his head. "Hospitals?"

"Yeah." But Aggie did not elaborate.

Jack supposed it was not a good starting topic. "So," He said. "I guess you know who I am?"

Aggie nodded. "Yes, though I haven't actually seen you much. Like I said, I spend most my time indoors. But the other spirits talk, and there's always news about the guardians going around."

They exchanged a few more lines, before Aggie excused herself saying that 'her job was waiting' and she glided out the window and flew away.


	4. Pitch Black is Not My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aggie recalls her "first" conversation with Pitch

It was midwinter before Aggie saw Jack Frost again, and it was not under anything resembling 'normal' circumstances.

Aggie was doing her rounds through a large hospital in New York City when a particularly harsh blizzard hit the area.

She sat in the windowsill of the children's play area, thoroughly entertained by the laughter of children while she waited for the storm to pass.

It was then that a scent hit her. A scent she had not met since her first few days of existence…

" _Hello, Agony."_

_She spun, her startled breath a puff of mist in front of her. "Who are you?"_

_The tall man tilted his head. "Agony… it is I."_

" _I am not Agony." She challenged._

_The man snorted. "Sure. Come then. Tell me what adventures you have been on since I last saw you."_

" _I have never seen you before."_

_The man frowned. "Agony, are you well? You do not normally joke."_

" _I am not joking." She spat. "And don't call me that."_

" _Call you what? Agony? It is your name - what else would I call you?"_

_She didn't know. But that wasn't right. "Aggie." She decided._

_The man shrugged. "If you wish. Tell me then… Aggie… what exactly is going on? Is something wrong?"_

" _Yes." Aggie said. "Everything. I do not understand."_

" _Medicus didn't show back up, did she?" The man rolled his eyes and puffed an annoyed sigh. "Dear gods, she was so hard to get rid of the last time."_

" _Who is Medicus?" Aggie asked._

_He blinked. "You… you really are not playing games."_

_Aggie shook her head._

_He frowned, something close to concern, which looked strange and out of place on his pointed, slightly menacing features. "Do… do you know who_ I  _am?"_

_Again, Aggie shook her head. "I have never seen you in my life. Not that my life has been very long."_

_He stood a moment, his mouth slightly open, his hands slightly quivering, as if he wanted to move them but couldn't think where to. "I am Pitch Black." He said finally. "And I am your best friend."_

Aggie turned as the black mist curled up through the vent and swirled to form the achingly familiar man about a meter from her windowsill.

The children did not look up from their game of Chutes-and-Ladders. They did not believe in the boogey-man. Lucky kids.

Aggie climbed slowly to her feet, her eyes unwavering as they held Pitch's gaze.

"What do you want?" She said after a tense silence.

Pitch spread his hands innocently. "Can I not simply wish to check up on an old friend?"

"You are no friend of mine." Aggie half-said, half-growled.

Pitch dropped his eyes. "Perhaps not." He sighed. "But whatever the Man in Moon may have done to your mind, he cannot take what is in your soul."

"My mind is perfectly functional." Aggie said stiffly. "And my soul is in its place."

"Its place?" Pitch scoffed. "And by that you mean under lock and key deep inside that little invisible body of yours! You have so much power at your grasp, Aggie, and you box it away!"

"Power does not exist to be used." Aggie said.

"Of course it does! Aggie, you could do so much! And you just sit here-" Pitch waved around the room. "Watching sick children play board games!"

Aggie glared at him. "These children are worth more than you will ever be, Pitch." She thrust an angry finger towards the vent he had come from. "Get out of my hospital."

"Aggie, can't you see I'm trying to help you?" Pitch cried.

"I see you planning something." Aggie said. "Do not think I am blind to your thoughts because I do not share them. You go and carry out your evil deeds  _away_  from me and my children."

" _Your_  children!" Pitch snorted. "Aggie, they can't even see you!"

"I have accepted my fate." Aggie said. "It is time you accepted yours." She shook her finger. "Out."


	5. Pain

The blizzard raged harsher as the hours dragged on.

Aggie didn't like travelling in storms, but as day three passed by with no sign of the storm letting up, she was already mentally preparing her trip out of the hospital and onto another, calmer city.

She walked unnoticed through the ER, giving a boy with a broken arm a comforting pat on the shoulder as she passed him. "Hang in there, kid." She murmured. "They'll take good care of you here."

He seemed to relax, and Aggie continued onward with a small smile.

She slipped out the doors as a mother walked her tearful boy in. He was clutching his arm to his chest.

Aggie brushed a hand over his hair as she passed him, and he sniffed, relaxing a bit, and glanced her way.

For a moment - just a moment - he locked onto her eyes.

Aggie smiled at him kindly, and it was only a split second later that his mother tugged on good shoulder, coaxing him onward, and his eyes glazed over and he followed her.

Pitch was wrong - she wasn't invisible. It was just that no one saw her very long.

And Aggie forgave them. They didn't see her because they didn't want to. It was human instinct to cast aside their fears as their imagination - it was ingrained into them since childhood.

_There's no monster under your bed._

_Ghosts aren't real._

_They're just shadows._

_Nothing to be afraid of._

Humans don't like to be scared. So they invent reasons not to be. It was only their nature, no fault of their own.

And that's why Aggie, while cherishing the moments human eyes focused wearily on her, she knew that it was in everyone's best interest if those eyes soon wandered and memories soon blurred.

Humans don't believe in pain. They know it exists, but they don't believe in it. If they did, it would surely break them.

Aggie watched as the boy trailed after his mother deeper into the hospital, sniffing and weakly wiping tears with his good hand.

He was a strong kid. And now he had her blessing. He would heal well.

She moved out of the electronic door's way before it could close on her and fully entered the bitter weather out on the ambulance bay.

Giving the wind her destination, Aggie left the ground on course out of the city.

She hadn't made it a whole block before she saw a scene that made her black blood run cold.


	6. Falling

Jack found himself free falling.

He had no idea what had hit him, or if he had even been hit.

In the back of his head he registered the wind grasping frantically, trying to catch him, but for some reason it couldn't.

What was happening?

Some voice was telling him that he should probably try and catch the wind back, strengthen the bond, but he could do nothing to obey it. He couldn't even tell if the voice was in his head or not.

Then suddenly he realized he was slowing. That was strange. Falling wasn't supposed to slow, was it? Or maybe that was just his mind savoring his last moments alive.

Lights. Blood red lights were all around, but they seemed friendly. They seemed soft. And gentle. And they were talking. Jack wasn't sure if lights were supposed to talk, but the wisps of voices all around were so comforting that he couldn't bare to shut them out.

The light tickled his fingertips and seemed to nuzzle his hair.

 _Like a dog._  Jack thought dazedly.

He wasn't falling anymore.

Had he crashed? Jack hadn't heard a crash. And he was fairly certain that crashing should have hurt, at least a little.

There was a face in the lights. The tips of tangled golden-bronze locks brushed his cheeks and the hazel eyes searched his face.

The face might have been pretty at some point, but it was sickly. The skin was pulled tight over the bones, the lips were dry, the eyes tired, the hazel irises dull, as if the color was being drained out, if simply by the will to live.

The face was no child's though. This was a woman. A young woman, yes, but she was twenty at least.

Jack distantly thought how odd it was she could see him. After all, adults didn't believe in him…

But this face, he knew this face. He had seen this face… somewhere… not so far back…


	7. Nightmares in New York

Aggie knew she had to move. The cloud of nightmares was engulfing the city like dust storm on an old western town and all she could do was stare, frozen about four meters above the roof of the twelve-story hospital.

The wind quivered around her, as unsure how to react to this invasion as she was.

"T-this is Pitch's doing." Aggie managed, not sure if she were talking more to the wind or herself. "I-I haven't ever seen him do a-anything like this b-before."

The wind hummed.

Aggie looked down at the hospital. At the woman running inside, hugging her jacket tight against the wind.

That woman could be a mother. A sister. A friend. And if nothing else, she  _was_ a daughter.

And it wasn't just her. It was every person in that hospital. Every child who had seen her out of the corner of their eye, every old man she had sat by and comforted as he slowly lost his memory, every new mother she had whispered encouragement to as they struggled through birth.

And that was just the hospital - not the children and mothers and fathers and newlyweds and workers and hermits of the whole rest of the city.

How could Pitch do this? How could he destroy so much good, so much innocent, so much peace, so much… everything?

"W-wind." Aggie said. "Is Pitch out there?"

The wind swirled in a chorus of snow and wet leaf fragments.

Aggie nodded shakily. "Take me to him."

The wind was hesitant, but did as she asked, tilting her forward and forming her a personal jet stream towards the front of the invading cloud.

Aggie saw him before she landed.

The spirit of fear and darkness was standing in the middle of a street, his arms tossed above his head as he spun in circles, cackling in devilish glee.

"My gods," Aggie breathed as her feet settled on the pavement. "You've gone mad."

Pitch turned, his too-large smile only growing at the sight of her. "Ah, it's just like the old days Aggie! You and me, wreaking havoc!"

Aggie narrowed her eyes. "This is all you, Pitch. I have never hurt anyone purposefully."

"Really?" He laughed. "And the Black Plague was just a mistake then!"

"That wasn't me." Aggie said. "We have had this conversation before."

Pitch ran the few feet between them and grasped her shoulders, his smile still eerily wide. "You may not remember the old days, Agony, but I do! And I have come here, so we make new memories together to replace the ones you have lost!"

"I will not have part in your madness!" Aggie shoved his hands away. "I have told you before, I am not Agony! Now get out of my city so I don't have to fight you!"

"Fight me?" Pitch looked almost hurt. " _Your_ city? Aggie, you may have lay claim to the hospitals, but you cannot take an entire city as your own!"

"It is not my own." Aggie said. "But it is under my protection."

Maybe it was the words, maybe it was the delivery, but Pitch's expression changed, as if he was finally taking her threat seriously.

"Agony, you would not… really fight me, would you?"

"My name is not Agony." Aggie said. "Agony is dead. So whatever friendship you had with her is dead. I am someone else - and yes, I will fight you. I do not want to, but this is wrong Pitch. This is more than wrong."

"It is only wrong because you were told so!" Pitch cried. "Look what Man in Moon has done to you, my friend! He has changed your very ideas of right wrong!"

"For the better, it would seem." Aggie clipped. "Are you leaving or not?"

Pitch was silent for a long moment. His eyebrows curved and jutted in thoughts Aggie didn't want to try and imagine.

He was just opening his mouth to speak when he was cut off from above; "Hey, Pitch!"

Aggie looked up, and every hope she had for convincing Pitch to leave peacefully fell.

She had heard the stories about how it was Jack Frost - newest Guardian - who Pitch blamed (and rightfully so) for his most recent banishment.

From what she had learned of Pitch since her (re?)birth, there was no way the boogeyman was going to give up the chance for revenge. Certainly not with an army of nightmares at his back.

Jack didn't seem to have seen Aggie yet. He was completely focused on Pitch. Maybe the obsession went both ways.

Aggie backed up, onto the sidewalk and between two nightmares that were still awaiting their master's command.

Seeming to have forgotten about Aggie himself (a dangerous thing to do, he should have known) Pitch strode forward, spreading his arms in a taunt to the young winter spirit.

"Jack Frost!" He greeted, that wide smile returning to his face. "How nice of you to join me!"

Jack hovered about ten meters off the pavement, his staff held between him and his enemy, prepared for attack. But despite his tense posture, he was grinning. "I heard you were in the area. Just had to drop in and say hi."

"Well, you've said hi." Pitch said. "What now?"

"Well," Jack said. "I was thinking maybe you take your nightmares back home. Their nice and all, but they don't quite go with my decour."

"Maybe it's time to redecorate?" Pitch suggested.

Jack snorted. "Thanks, but… no thanks. I like New York the way it is myself."

"Well maybe you should think it over." Pitch said, and his smile twisted in a way Aggie knew all too well. "Because these colors are a bit… last season."

He had thrown a dart of black nightmare sand faster than Aggie could blink. It was only his shout of, "Attack!" That allowed her to understand was happening in time to jump out of the way of the pouncing nightmares.

She scrambled to her feet and was unable to see Jack. The sky was a swarm of black that light flickered through in motion-sickness-inducing flashes that stung at Aggie's eyes.

Pitch was still on the ground, firing darts of black sand into the swarm, laughing with a sickening kind of glee.

This had to stop. All of it. The attack on the city. The attack on Jack. The attempts to "bring Agony back."

And there was only one way Aggie had to stop it.

She reached - reached deep - into a place inside herself she had not been in centuries. And her vision went red.

Pitch was facing away from her, his eyes watching the cloud as he took aim again. Now was the time.

Aggie moved forward - she raised her arm - there was a flash - a taste like smoke - something hot - screams - she wasn't sure whose.

When she could see again she was panting. Pitch was on his knees, his back against her chest as she bent, cheek to cheek with the boogeyman, pressing a blade of red energy to his throat.

Pitch's eyes were wide with fear.

 _Huh_. Aggie thought.  _I guess the embodiment of fear_ can  _feel fear._  She filed the information away for later pondering.

"Call off your nightmares."

Pitch shivered. "Ag-Agony what a-rre y-you doing?"

"Fighting you." Aggie said, very calmly, considering. "And as it seems I have won, I am making my demands. Call of the nightmares."

Pitch was quiet.

Aggie pressed her blade harder against his skin. "Call. Off. The nightmares."

Pitch cut his eyes sideways to look at her. "I-I…" He raised a shaky hand and snapped his fingers.

The nightmares dispersed in a rain of black dust, and Aggie saw Jack Frost then; he was falling, having been held up by the nightmares.

Aggie jumped away from Pitch and sprinted towards the falling spirit, flinging her arms up - her red blade of shot upward into spirals of light, catching Jack in its gentle embrace and slowly lowering him to the street.

Aggie ran to him. She vaguely realized the light was hovering around, as she had not yet commanded it to leave, but she didn't have time to deal with it.

Jack's eyes were half open, blinking unfocused in her general direction.

"Jack?" Aggie shook his shoulders gently. "Jack Frost, look at me."

His eyes had fluttered shut.

"Jack!" Aggie's eyes cut to Pitch.

The boogeyman was climbing to his feet. He met her eyes, and immediately dispersed into black sand.

Aggie carefully lifted Jack Frost's head with slightly shaking hands, and her fingers were immersed in something wet and sticky.

"Oh gods." Aggie breathed. "Oh gods, oh gods this is not good."

The hospital was only a block away.

Aggie looked to the red light, which hovered at Jack's other side, eagerly awaiting orders.

"Help me carry him."


	8. This Shouldn't Have Happened

Sorry I took so long with this chapter! Been really caught up in work lately. R&R if you like - enjoy!

The light was soft, hovering beside Aggie, reflecting her worry and mild fear back at her as it swirled in a thin pillar about shoulder height.

Aggie wanted it to go, but she knew if she released it where it would immediately head.

It was watching, somewhat impatient, prodding restlessly at the back of her mind for orders - she had none to give.

They were on the roof of the hospital, Jack propped up against one of the vent exits, still unconscious.

Aggie had been standing there for too long, she knew. She should be helping the injured spirit! But all she could do was shift from foot to foot, chewing her lip in a desperate attempt to keep her brian from short-circuiting.

How had she let this happen? How  _could_  she have let this happen?

From waking up she had sworn to herself and the world that she would never release the knot of evil that twisted inside her, and here it was - floating next to her, unable to be freed, unable to be pulled back in.

Finally, just as she was beginning to compose herself, the blood-red light bumped her, directing her attention to Jack Frost, whose eyes were starting to flutter.

Aggie knelt in front of him meeting his eyes. "How are you?" She managed.

He blinked a while, not really focusing on Aggie or anything in particular. "What…?"

"You took some hits." Aggie said. "You've been out a good half hour now."

Jack's eyes wandered, coming to rest on Aggie's face, though still unfocused. "...Aggie?"

"Yeah," Aggie said, offering what she hoped somewhat resembled a smile. "It's me."

"Where… where are we?"

"Safe." Aggie said. "I looked you over, Jack. There's a lot of bruising, probably broken ribs. The back of your head was bleeding but it stopped. I think…"

"How are you here?" Jack murmured. "I haven't seen you in months."

"You shouldn't have intervened, Jack." Aggie said. "I almost had Pitch talked out of it. And now you're hurt and Pitch is angry and I have no idea what to do!"

Aggie felt like sobbing. The red light stroked her back in what she supposed was meant to be comforting, but at least felt awkward, and at most made a fury build inside her at the light's very existence.

"I never saw you." Jack said.

"I know." Aggie brushed an angry tear from her eye before it could fall. "I know, I just… This never should have happened!"

Jack shifted as if to sit up properly, then apparently decided that was a bad idea, and settle back against the vent. "Listen, Aggie, I don't know a lot about you, but… you seem like a good spirit. And you're right, this never should have happened… Pitch should never have been able to leave his place of darkness and enter our world again…" He coughed - the sound was dry and painful.

Aggie forced herself to shut out her fears and pay attention to the far more present situation. "What am I even doing… you are hurt and maybe even dying and I just…"

"I thought spirits couldn't die?" Jack said. "...Can they?"

They could. Aggie had seen it. She had sat by many an unseen spirit, whispering soothing lies as they withered into nothingness. But then again, Jack was believed in. He had children who loved and would protect him.

Aggie wasn't sure if that would make any difference, and she really didn't want to test to see what would happen. "I don't know." She admitted. "And I don't want to find out."

"I… me neither." Jack decided. "I… I need…"

"What?" Aggie searched his face, which was furrowed in pain. "I took you to the roof because I thought the cold might be good for you. Winter spirit and all. Was that wrong? Do you need to go inside?"

"No, no." Jack said. "This is good. Thank you. I just… I need the other Guardians. They'll know what to do."

"I-I don't exactly have a way to send messages." Aggie said.

The pillar of blood-red nudged her agitatedly.

Jack seemed to notice the light for the first time, and sucked in a quick breath. "What is  _that_?" He said.

Aggie glanced between the winter spirit and her hideous creation. "Could the Guardians even here your message if you spoke?" She asked the light.

The pillar bent at its top, a slightly disturbing nod.

Aggie was quiet a long moment, far too aware of Jack's eyes boring into the side ofer head. "Go, then." She finally ordered. "Tell the Guardians they are needed. That Jack Frost is injured."

The light nodded again and sped off through the sky before its mistress could change her mind.

"Tell me I'm not going to regret this." Aggie sighed.

But the pillar - or as it were now, a blood-red jetstream - was already out of sight.


	9. Guardians

Tooth wanted to believe it was a lie.

It was a disembodied voice drifting through the halls of the Tooth Place, shaking and hissing and echoing in the shadows - it couldn’t be trustworthy, right?

But the trembling words shook Tooth to her core. She only debated for ten minutes before sending Baby Tooth to the North Pole to carry the message before taking flight for New York City.

\---

The voice vibrating through the floorboards of his workshop had North drawing his swords, almost decapitating a sculpture of a penguin.

He stood, staring into space, trying to understand the words for who knows how long - long enough for a shivering little tooth fairy to buzz inside and peck him to pay attention, chirping as fast as she could.

Maybe the voice was a trap, but if Tooth was going, North had to back her. He turned on the northern lights and left the little tooth fairy there to tell the others where to go when they arrived.

Then North ran for his sleigh.

\---

Bunnymund was having a particularly intense argument with Groundhog about who was better when the northern lights streaked across the sky.

Excusing himself, (rudely, of course), Bunny tapped the ground, summoning a tunnel to the North Pole.

When he arrived Sandy was just floating in, but North and Tooth were absent.

Bunny opened his mouth to ask what was going on when a series of familiar chirps was set off behind him.

He and Sandy turned to watch the frantic little tooth fairy as she explained, to the best of her ability, what had happened.

Bunny and Sandy exchanged looks.

“Well,” Bunny said. “It’s probably a trap.”

Sandy waved his arms, pictures flashing over his head.

“Yeah.” Bunny sighed. “I figured you’d say that.”

And he tapped the ground - this time opening a tunnel for New York City.


	10. Here

The pillar of light returned within half an hour, shining proudly as it swirled before its mistress, seeking approval like a child to its mother.

“Did you tell them?” Aggie asked.

The pillar didn’t move, but Aggie felt the nod as if her own head had made it.

“And no one got hurt?” She asked.

A shake of an imaginary head.

“You’re sure?”

A nod.

“Is it… answering you?” Jack asked.

“In a way.” Aggie said.

“How?”

“I’m… not sure, actually.” Aggie said. “I never much thought about it. I’m not sure I want to.”

“What is it?”

Aggie didn’t answer.

She crossed to the edge of the roof and looked over the concrete railing.

“Aggie?”

“It’s a monster, Jack.” Aggie managed. “It’s a monster that I cannot kill…”

She knew the events of the day were catching up with her. Pitch trying to attack a city. An entire city! And she… she lost control. How did she lose control?

The more Aggie tried to recall what had gone wrong the more she questioned if anything had gone wrong. Who was to say she hadn’t handled it perfectly?

She was doubting herself - a fatal mistake. Maybe Pitch was right. Maybe the evil inside her wasn’t so evil after all…

_ No. _ Aggie cursed herself.  _ That’s the light talking. Not me. I have to stay strong. Think of the children. _

“It seems to listen to you.” Jack said. “You never told me where it even came from.”

Where  _ had _ it come from? It had come from Aggie, yes, but where? What part of her was so desperate to cling to the past that it held this inside her?

_ It doesn’t matter. _ Aggie told herself.  _ We could ponder this for centuries. It is a waste of time. _

But… was it?

The buzz of wings hit Aggie’s sensitive ears before the source ever broke the cloud cover.

Aggie turned to watch as the Tooth Fairy looked around a moment, wild eyes settling on Jack, and dove down to him with a half laugh half shriek, not even seeming to notice Aggie.

Jack shifted to sit up better, smiling weakly as he fended off her worried hands as if it were habit, insisting he wasn’t as bad off as he looked.

_ Liar. _ Aggie snorted.

Carefully she approached the pair, keeping her hands at her sides, shoulders and fingers loose, attempting in every way to look non-threatening.

She had seen the tooth fairy many times, but never officially met the creature, and wasn’t sure Tooth would even recognize her. “Um, not to disregard your idea of ‘okay’ Jack, but you should probably let your friend help you.”

Tooth spun, tensing at the new voice, but relaxing slightly when she saw Aggie, her fear turning to confusion. “Hospital girl?”

Aggie offered as much of a smile as her addled mind could conjure. “Yeah, I do hang around hospitals. I guess my message got through.”

“That was you?” Tooth cried. “But - that voice! I never thought - I assumed this was a trap - I never thought that - what even happened?” The last question was directed at Jack, but it was Aggie who spoke.

“Pitch.”

The single word had the Tooth Fairy frozen in place. “P-Pitch?”

Before anything else could be said, there was a flash of light and a clash of angry bells, and the next thing Aggie knew a grand sleigh was screeching along the icy rooftop of her hospital.

Aggie cringed against the sound of metal scraping on concrete, of twenty-four hooves kicking frantically for a foothold.

She opened her eyes to find a curved sword level with her chest.

“No!” Jack cried, grabbing at Tooth as he struggled to his feet. “No, North! She’s a friend!”

“S-she is!” Tooth managed over her shock. “I swear. North, it’s… Jack… Pitch…”

“Pitch?” North’s sword swung away from Aggie as he spun on his heel to gape at Tooth. “What about Pitch? What does he have to do with this?”

“Please, I will explain!” Aggie cried. “Just for goodness sake, somebody help Jack!”

The winter spirit was visibly paling in his unsteady place at Tooth’s side.

No one had time to respond - the ground trembled slightly, and Bunnymund and the Sandman popped up out of the ground.

“What’s going on here?” Bunny demanded.

Sandman’s images flashed too fast to read, but Aggie estimated his meaning was along the lines of Bunny’s.

Yet neither Tooth nor North felt inclined to summarize the situation.

“I WILL EXPLAIN LATER!” Aggie practically screamed. “Just get Jack help first! You have to have some kind of healing magic tucked away in your homes!”

The Guardians all looked at each other - minus Jack, who looked like the very act of standing was taking all of his remaining energy.

Desperate, Aggie looked to Sandman; the most sensible of the Guardians. “Sandy? Please? He’s your friend, right? Help him!”

A sickening feeling was radiating outward from Jack’s body and Aggie was the only one who could feel it. She knew that feeling. She’d felt it countless times, and it was never good.

It was her signal to wipe her tears and give a dying child one last kiss on the cheek; they were finally out of time.

_ No. _ Aggie’s thoughts were sluggish.  _ Not this time. Not on my watch. Not Pitch… _

“DO SOMETHING!” She shrieked.

And something was done - but not by the Guardians.

Her fear and anger swirled around her in a blaze of red, and the ground fell away from beneath her. She was flying but the familiar whisper of the wind was not in her ears.

This was a different kind of flying.

With a very different destination.


	11. Familiar Places

Aggie was standing in a room with pale walls and a pale floor and a pale ceiling.

She’d been here before. She knew she had.

She had opened that drawer and pulled out… she was moving before she knew what she was doing, crossing to the counter and tugging open the drawer, pulling out… bandages? What was she supposed to do with these?

Then she remembered.  _ Pitch. Jack. Jack was… hurt. _

Aggie turned and found four Guardians staring blankly at her. The fifth was about to collapse, and had hardly even noticed the change of scenery.

They needed a place to put him.

No sooner did Aggie have the thought did a bed appear behind Jack and Tooth.

“Get him on it.” Aggie ordered shakily. “Hurry!”

She shut down the rational part of her mind - she had to. Otherwise she would panic, because she didn’t know where she was, or how she got here, or if Jack would live even if her subconscious managed to tend to him.

She moved with a speed and accuracy she didn’t know she had, going to places in the room that seemed to appear if simply because she asked them to.

The remaining Guardians stared at her as she moved, just about as dumbstruck with her as she was with herself.

Aggie knew she was being driven by some other part of her, a part she did not know. Perhaps the same part that had brought down Pitch, that had caught Jack as he fell…

Jack was unconscious - Aggie didn’t remember when he closed his eyes.

She didn’t remember when she discarded his hoodie ad wrapped his black and blue torso in the thick bandages. She didn’t remember splinting his broken ankle or pressing antiseptic to the wound on the back of his head.

But there he was, all fixed up… as best as could be.

For all her time in hospitals, Aggie could not have pieced anyone back together half this good had her life depended on it - but here she had just done it.

No, not her. That other part. That part buried inside, the part that was starting to scare her, just a little bit… or maybe more than a little bit.

Aggie didn’t know how long she stood there, her eyes gazing in the general direction of her patient, lost in thought.

“...Where are we?” Tooth’s small voice broke the silence after a long, long time.

That part that seemed to know what was going on was sinking back down into the bog that was Aggie’s core, and no amount of grasping for it was slowing it down.

She was settling back into cluelessness. Into confusion. Into fear.

“I… don’t know.” Aggie looked at the room again.

The counters, the cupboards, the sink and the little refrigerator, and the doorway… doorway? Was this only one part of this mysterious place?

With a glance to Jack’s motionless form, Aggie determined he was stable enough to stay put while she did a little exploring.

“Watch him.” She forced the words out as she passed the Guardians and went to the doorway. Looking through she saw a long hall with a door at the (distant) other end. “I’ll be right back…”

Aggie ventured down the hall and finally reached the door.

It opened to a large room, nearly twice the size as the one she had left, and without counters and cupboards… it seemed more like a common area, or living room.

The floor here was chestnut wood rather than tile,the walls and ceiling seeming softer, though still white. A few couches and chairs encircled the large middle area, which was littered with rugs and pillows and even a stuffed alligator.

Aggie thought she had taken in the entire room, but then she realized there was someone staring at her.

A teenage boy, sixteen at most, clad in sweat pants and a tee shirt with a fuzzy blue blanket draped haphazardly around his shoulders.

A steaming mug was held at his chin, as if he were about to take a sip, but…

The mug dropped.

Aggie jumped as glass and hot liquid flew, but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

Tears were welling in his eyes.

“Mother?” He choked. “Is that… you?”


	12. Shock

_ Sometime in the 1400s… _

_ “Mother?” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Where’s Uncle Pitch? You said he’d be here.” _

_ “Uncle Pitch and I had a disagreement.” _

_ “What kind of disagreement?” The boy ventured. _

_ “The kind that is very hard to fix.” The woman said, bitterness clipping her words. _

_ “So… we’re not seeing him today?” _

_ “I am not.” The woman said. “And I advise you not to either.” _

_ “I do as you do, mother.” The boy frowned. “I am loyal.” _

_ The woman smiled. A sad smile. “Yes, Shock. You are loyal. The most loyal person I ever knew.” _

_ “You may only praise yourself for that.” The boy said, though he still blushed at the complement. _

_ The woman laughed weakly. “You are a good boy Shock. I will miss you.” _

_ “Excuse me?” The boy paused. “Are you going somewhere?” _

_ “I fear I am.” The woman said. “And I will need you to be strong without me there for you. Do you think you can do that?” _

_ “Of course.” The boy said. “But I should rather not have to.” _

_ “We all have to do things we would rather not.” The woman sighed. “I had wished you could be different, son, but I see now you will not be spared.” _

_ “You are scaring me, mother.” _

_ “I know.” The woman looked away so her boy could not see the tears that formed in her eyes. “But you have to trust me. Be strong, okay?” _

That was the last thing Shock’s mother ever said to him...  

And he had trusted her, he had been strong - for centuries.

He had avoided his uncle at all costs, not really knowing why, but telling himself his mother wouldn’t have suggested so without reason.

But here she was. All these hundreds of years later. Staring at him like she had never seen him before… like he was a stranger!

“Mother?” He tried again. “Mother, say something!”

But she just stood there. Staring.

Tears swelled in Shock’s eyes until her form was a blur in front of him.

He wanted to collapse. He wanted to run to her and hug her and sob into her shoulder, but he was so scared that if he neared her she would disappear.

“Mother, please…”

Shock’s heart was hammering in his chest and a weight was dragging him down. He finally gave in, sinking to his knees on the now hot, wet floor, where hot chocolate trickled into the floorboards and chards of glass dug into his skin.

His mother didn’t move. She still stood there… Staring… 

\---

“Um… hello?” Aggie tried, edging towards the now sobbing teenager on his knees in the broken glass. “Are… are you alright kid?”

“Mother…” He choked.

Aggie seriously doubted she was anyone’s mother. The poor boy must be enduring some kind of… what?

Aggie didn’t know, but if this was his house, or… place, she should probably get him back together so she could figure out where exactly they were.

“Hey,” Aggie cautiously tapped the teenager’s shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on?”

He lifted his head to look at her, choking on his own breaths, and reached weakly for her.

Confused, Aggie helped him to his feet. They made it halfway to the couch before he practically went limp.

Aggie had no choice but to sink to the ground under his weight. At least they were out of the hot chocolate…

His face was burrowed into her neck, his sobs jerking her entire body as he clung to her like she was a life vest in thrashing waves.

Aggie didn’t understand, but as she couldn’t pull away (she tried; he just clung tighter), she resorted to what she knew - comforting the distraught and the fearful and the suffering.

She hugged him closer, almost holding him on her lap, stroking his hair and back and gently massaging his neck…

It must have been more than an hour she sat there, murmuring into his scalp, that his sobs finally began to slow.

He wasn’t done crying, not hardly; he was just too exhausted to continue sobbing. He sank, if possible, deeper against Aggie, sniffling and blinking at eyes run dry.

“Hey,” Aggie tried, leaning back slightly. “Can you tell me your name, kid?”

His body jerked with a sudden sob, but there were no tears left, and he was left gasping as his body trembled.

“S-sh-Shock.” He finally said.

“Shock?” Aggie said. “That’s your name?”

He nodded weakly.

Aggie knew that name. It was like the name Agony - he was the very embodiment of shock.

And he was in shock.

_ Pitch Black can feel fear. Shock can be in shock. Is this supposed to be happening? Is this normal? _

Aggie didn’t know.

She continued stroking the teenager’s back and hair for several minutes.

“You called me mother.” She began, when she finally reasoned through what had to be happening. “Was that who Agony was? She was your mother?”

“Ag-Agony?” Shock sniffed. “But… you said… to be strong… I trusted you, mother… just like you said…”

“I am sorry,” Aggie said. “I am not Agony. I have her face but that is all. Please do not cry for those whom have been dead for centuries.”

“What…” Shock’s seemingly dry eyes somehow found more tears to spring. “No, mother. Do not say these things!” He fisted his hands in her shirtfront, his voice shaking. “No mother, you were dead but you are back now! Do not talk about yourself as if you were gone!”

“You must forgive me,” Aggie gently unfurled his weak fists. “I am not your mother. I am Aggie. I visit hospitals all day everyday. I have since the early fourteen hundreds. I have never had any children.”

“No, no!” Shock cried. “Do not say that, mother!”

“I am not your mother.” Aggie said, again. “My name is Aggie. I am here with the Guardians of Childhood. I am not even sure how we got here, but one of their own, a winter spirit-”

“G-Guardians?” Shock spat. “What?!”

He was struggling now, fighting to stand on shaking limbs that wanted nothing more than to collapse underneath him.

“What is it?” Aggie was on her feet beside him, keeping him upright more than his own legs were.

“Mother, the Guardians cannot be here! You said so yourself - they will destroy everything we hold dear! We must fight them off!”

“No!” Aggie grasped him arm, holding him back with little effort. “They are not here to hurt you or I, I swear. They simply need help. I suppose some part of me that was once Agony came here when I asked it for help, but I will leave you now. I will take the Guardians with me; no fight, no destroying, I swear.”

Shock stared at her a long, long moment. “Mother?”

“I told you,” Aggie tried yet again. “I am not your mother. I am Aggie.”

“It’s true.” He murmured. “You’re not her. She would never bring the Guardians here. Certainly not to help them.” But that was hardly Shock’s first concern. “And if you’re not my mother… then she really is dead… my mother… is gone… forever…”

He managed one more heart-wrenching sob before his eyes rolled into his head and he crumpled.

Aggie caught him and lowered him to the floor.

“Forgive me.” She told his prone form. “I did not mean to bring you pain.”

Wiping a tear of her own, whether at the stress of it all, or truly in the grieving of someone she had replaced, Aggie ran back to the long hallway, returning to where she had left the Guardians.


	13. "Thank You"

Aggie stepped back into the room, earning a shriek from Tooth and somewhat undignified yelps from Bunny and North. Sandy simply jumped a bit and formed a question mark in the sand over his head.

And in the next moment everyone froze.

“Where did you come from?” North demanded.

“I… I just…” Aggie turned to gesture at the doorway - but it was… gone? “Nevermind.” She said. “We are leaving anyway.”

“Leaving?” Tooth asked. “How? There are no doors! I don’t even know how we got here!”

“I’m not entirely sure about that either.” Aggie said. “But we are not welcome here. I think I can get us out, but I don’t know where we’ll end up. Can you trust me?”

The Guardians exchanged looks.

“Honestly, Aggie,” Tooth said. “I don’t think we have any other choice.”

“Alright then,” Aggie said. “Somebody carry Jack. I’m not sure how this works just yet, and I don’t want him getting left behind.”

At that Bunny, who was closest to the resting winter spirit, scooped Jack into his arms without delay. “Now what?”

“Now…” Aggie drew in a breath. “Now I pray to all gods I know at least half of what I’m doing.”

Aggie closed her eyes and reached into the knot of darkness writhing in her core.

_ Hey _ , she said.  _ Wanna go for a ride? _

High pitched shrieks of delight stung her ears, and she knew no one else could hear them. They were all staring at her expectantly, and she was staring back… but her eyes were still closed.

She could see, though. She could see in every direction at once. She could taste every scent in the room. She could feel how the very air touched her softly, gently, as if worried it might break her if it pressed too hard.

And then she was moving - moving through an endless swirl of red and cries of pain that were somehow also cries of delight. She was spiraling into a void of pure hate and greed and sorrow and… evil.

But before she knew it Aggie was back on her feet, standing in the middle of a forest. The Guardians were around her, their eyes wide in something far more than disorientation.

Aggie had a feeling that this time she had not witnessed the horrors alone.

She avoided their gazes by calling on the wind and floating above the treetops in hopes of finding where they were.

The trees didn’t go on for much farther before they hit rows of two-story houses and playgrounds and coffee stands.

Drifting closer, Aggie noted the children running up and down the street, many unsupervised, but all playing fairly despite. This neighborhood was beyond safe - perhaps she had more control over their location than she had thought.

Returning to the Guardians, she found them hovering around Jack, who was starting to wake.

Aggie hung back, leaving the wayward family to their personal space.

\---

Jack opened his eyes to find the other Guardians crowded around him, eyes all searching him hopefully, faces a little too close for his liking, however much he loved their presence.

“Hey…” He managed. “What’s up… guys…?”

“Jack!” Tooth was the first to speak - also the first to crush him in a hug, though the others joined in not a second later.

“Ah!” Jack cried. “Ah! Get off! It hurts!”

“Oh my gosh Jack I’m so sorry!” Tooth pulled back as quickly as the others and cupped his face worriedly. “We were just so scared!”

“You really got yourself hurt, mate.” Bunny said.

“You could have died!” North said. “Jack, don’t ever do that to us again!”

“Uh… I’ll do my best not to die?” Jack tried.

Surprisingly, that seemed to satisfy the Guardians for the most part.

A sharp, delibrite cough cut into the conversation.

Everyone looked to Aggie, who stood back from them, hands twitching nervously at her sides. “I hate to break up the family reunion, but this isn’t over. I did what could be done, but Jack still needs rest. And the middle of a residential thicket isn’t exactly the prime place for that.”

The Guardians glanced among themselves, until eventually all eyes settled on Sandy. The little man stood for a moment, then, suddenly realizing they wanted him to be the final answer, nodded in agreement with Aggie.

“Alright then.” Aggie said. “Bunnymund, I suppose transportation is up to you now.”

Again glances were exchanged, and after a seeming silent agreement, North stepped forward and offered his hand.

“I’d like to thank you, Aggie.” He said.

Aggie shook the hand, confused. “Not that I don’t love thanks, of course, but whatever for?”

“For helping Jack.” North said. “I don’t know the whole story yet, but from what I do know Jack owes you his life. And in that we all owe you.”

“Please,” Aggie smothered a blush. “You owe me nothing.”

“I insist.” North said. “If you ever need something - anything - you come to one of us.”

Aggie could tell he wasn’t going to leave unless she accepted. “I will,” She said. “Thank you.”


	14. Later

Months passed without seeing the Guardians - unless glimpsing Sandy occasionally counted.

But Aggie wasn’t worried about them. The wind had already brought her word that Jack was well, and with that out of the way Aggie was back to wandering hospitals, only this time she had much more on her mind.

Agony had a son. What else had Agony had? A warren, like the Guardians? More children? A lover, even?

Aggie’s heart only ached worse at the thought of her mind stealing the face replacing some poor creature’s beloved. She had seen the heartbreak on Shock’s face, and she never wanted to see it again.

For everything she had seen, all the pain she had witnessed, that expression had ripped out her heart in little pieces and then stepped on them. It was a feeling that brought more pain than she supposed the entirety of the evil inside her could ever bring.

Speaking of the evil inside her, upon parting with the Guardians Aggie’s pillar of light had caught up with her.

It took in the scent of Shock’s home and wriggled excitedly. It wanted to be free. To go home.

But Aggie couldn’t let it roam. She knew good and well it would infect the first innocent it came across and cripple them within an inch of their lives.

She needed to disperse it… safely.

It only took two days of careful thought before she sent it off to waste its energy away on the inmates of the nearest high-security prison.

_ Someone has to feel the pain. May as well be someone who deserves it. _

But even with this resolution Aggie was unsettled - she wasn’t sure pain like that was something anyone deserved.

But at least with the pillar gone, Aggie’s head was clear, and she could get back to a somewhat normal routine… well, if herding jealous nightmares out of children’s hospital rooms had ever been part of her normal routine, that was.

With each passing day that Pitch sent his minions to scare children while he hid in some safe corner somewhere… Aggie was growing angrier and angrier.

She was not normally hot-tempered, but these were  _ her _ hospitals, and  _ her _ children he was messing with. And after what had happened to Jack, Aggie knew Pitch was capable of so much more than she had originally known.

Unable to take anymore, Aggie shooed one last nightmare away, this time attaching a message to it for its master.

Maybe threats weren’t her usual style, but something had to give.


	15. Empty

The nightmares stopped coming after that, but Aggie had a bad feeling Pitch was only gathering his strength for something much worse.

Days turned to weeks and still no word from the Guardians. Not that it was expected - they’d never much noticed her before, why start now?

Aggie only started to worry when winter came round again. Or, winter time, at least.

There was snow, yes, and ice and blizzards, but it wall all so… generic. Nothing playful melded in with the annoyances of the season.

What was Jack Frost doing?

After her most recent patient drifted to sleep Aggie crossed to the window, staring out at the blankets of snow that blocked driveways and sat on the edges of roofs, dripping down on passers by.

This was wrong. Aggie had been contemplating for days now on whether she should try and contact the Guardians, just to check in.

By December Aggie knew something was wrong - the usual Christmas spirit hanging in the air was nowhere near its usual thickness, and by the second week of the month Aggie forced herself to stop stalling and making excuses and go find out what was happening.

Cursing her every breath, Aggie left a London hospital from a seventh story window and urged the wind to make her journey to the North Pole swift.

Landing at the front door to North’s warren, Aggie’s stomach dropped - the place was completely and utterly silent.

Some stupidly human part of her got the urge to call, “hello!” into the vast building when the door swung open at the slightest tap to reveal… nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It was as if the whole place had been cleared out. Empty. Hollow. Creepy.

Aggie cautiously entered, arms poised up to block anything that came at her. And nothing came at her. Every moment she was sure some trap would spring, but there were no traps. No Guardians. No elves or yetis. No toys littering the halls.

Entering the large kitchen, Aggie found it completely clean save a single saucer harboring cookie crumbs on the far counter.

Aggie left the kitchen and explored the rest of the warren to find it exactly the same - no one and nothing present, yet also no signs of a fight or even a slight disruption.

Even the stables were empty, reindeer gone with the sleigh sitting peacefully in its nook, untouched.

Finally Aggie entered what must have been the main room - a large globe was positioned in the center, lights of believers flickering all over. Beside was a large red lever - the Northern Lights.

It was only for emergencies. And this was certainly an emergency. That would be, if there was even anyone in the other warrens to see them.

But, on the slight chance someone was out there, Aggie grasped the lever and thrust it into the ‘on’ position.

The floor vibrated slightly. Aggie hoped that was part of the Northern Lights and not her finally having found a trap to set off. Apparently it was the former, because it was gone in seconds with no harmful repercussions.

Aggie paced the great room for a solid half hour and was just about to give up on someone coming when a voice spoke behind her.

“You called, my Queen?”


	16. Doubt

Aggie turned to the creature that smiled at her from the dark corner.

“Doubt?” She said. “Is that… you?”

The creature’s smile widened. “I don’t know. Is it?”

“I haven’t seen you in years.”

“I admit I do not get out often, my lady.” The creature said. “It is one of my many faults.”

“One of mine as well.” Aggie said. “But… what are you doing here?”

“The Northern Lights are not Northern unless North makes them.” Doubt said, as if it were perfectly understandable. “When a Guardian pulls that lever, they call other Guardians. It is designed to summon those you trust.”

“I trust you, do I?” Aggie asked.

“Apparently the machine believes so.” Doubt said. “I must say I am as surprised as you are, my Queen.”

“I told you before, I am not the Agony that was.” Aggie said. “You needn’t call me Queen.”

“We can discuss that later.” Doubt said. “You called for aid. What is wrong?”

“Look around you.” Aggie waved a hand at the room. “This is the North Pole two weeks before Christmas. It should be in a frenzy - not completely stripped of everyone and everything.”

“It would seem… incorrect.” Doubt agreed slowly. “May I ask why you are on the North Pole to begin with?”

“It’s a long story.” Aggie sighed. “But I noticed a lack of Guardian activity and came to check up on them… turns out it was worse than I could have imagined.”

“Check on them?” Doubt raised an eyebrow. “Getting friendly with the big shots now, are we?”

“Perhaps.” Aggie sighed. “But this is serious. Not a full year ago I confronted Pitch Black and by chance ended up saving one of the Guardians.”

“You’re a hero then?” Doubt said. “Moving up in the world.”

“Whatever you call it.” Aggie said. “But Pitch had something planned when he marched on New York. My refusal to join him, and in turn my willingness to fight him… I thought it might be enough to push him back. But I can think of no other explanation for what is happening now.”

Doubt’s expression darkened. “I know you are reborn, Aggie, and I respect and allow that you are young and yet have not learned everything, but you should know Pitch is a dangerous enemy.”

“I know, I know.” Aggie sighed. “I didn’t even think. He was killing that sprite and I just… couldn’t let him.”

“You have a good heart, my Queen.” Doubt said. “But, as with all decency in this world, it can be turned against you.”

“And  _ you _ would have let Pitch kill him?”

Doubt looked down. “I would not know, my Queen. I have always been careful to keep out of Pitch’s way. But even with my ingrained nature, I… I couldn’t have.” The creature’s feet shifted. “I do not blame you, my Queen. I simply state the seriousness of your present condition.”

“Noted.” Aggie shook her head. “Do you have any idea what could have happened to the Guardians?”

“To them personally?” Doubt asked. “No, I do not. But something has seemed… off, about the children, if I think back. They seem… more timid.”

“Timid?” Aggie said. “No offence, Doubt, but that is not of much use.”

“The past few months,” Doubt tried again. “Leading up to now, especially, the children have been less open, less willing to go out and play just for the heck of it. It’s like they’re scared, almost, but I’m not sure they even know of what.”

“Pitch had been sending nightmares into the hospitals.” Aggie breathed. “I chased them off… I never thought that he would be sending them out to individual children as well! How could I have been so stupid?”

“Do not take the blame, my Queen.” Doubt said. “We have no clue what is going on. It could have nothing to do with nightmares.”

“No,” Aggie said. “Pitch isn’t creative if he doesn’t have to be. Once he’s found a tactic that works he will use it again and again until it is ripped from him.”

“Maybe you have learned more of him than I gave you credit for.” Doubt said. “After his larger recent defeat, I would have thought he would have given up on nightmares for weapons. But if he was sending them into the hospitals…”

“We have to find Pitch.” Aggie said. She was quiet a long moment before realizing the ‘we’ she had automatically shoved into her sentence. “If… you’re willing to help me, of course.”

“Anything for you, my Queen.”

“But… I am not your Queen.”

Doubt smiled. “You are a new person, but you hold the title of Agony the same as the one before did. And as long as that holds true, I serve you unconditionally… my Queen.”

“Thank you.” Aggie whispered.

“Do not thank me.” Doubt said. “I was born for this. Literally. So - what do you suppose  _ we _ do now?”


	17. Flickering

A search of Tooth Palace and Bunnymund’s Warren did nothing but to settle the horrid feeling in Aggie’s stomach that something beyond awful had become of the Guardians.

To anyone else Doubt seemed to show no feelings for the eerie silence they met, but Aggie noticed the way the creature’s lips twitched and their hands clenched slightly - Doubt was scared.

Back at the North Pole, Aggie took a closer look at the giant globe, and the specks of light flickering across it.

_ Flickering. _

“Are they supposed to do that?” Aggie asked, cautiously tapping one of the lights.

“I do not know.” Doubt said. “I have never seen the globe in person before.”

“From what I heard of the Guardian’s last battle with Pitch, lights simply went out. But these are flickering.” Aggie folded her arms. “They have been since I got here.”

“Perhaps they are meant to?” Doubt said.

“Is anything around us acting like it is meant to?” Aggie asked. “I find it hard to believe that Pitch would clear this whole place out and leave the globe untouched.”

“I am starting to think…” Doubt shook their head.

“What?” Aggie said. “Doubt, we need new material to work with, however stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Doubt said. “I just… if Pitch were anywhere near capable of this power he would have used it last time he fought the Guardians, yes?”

“You’re saying this isn’t Pitch?”

“I’m saying Pitch isn’t alone this time.”

They stood in silence a long moment.

“I need to visit the other dark spirits.” Aggie decided.

“You?” Doubt said. “What about me? May I not come?”

“You have to stay here.” Aggie said. “I do not know how long it will take me - you need to get this place up and running. Without Christmas those lights will flicker right out. If belief in them falters, there won’t be much of any Guardians left to save.”

“Where do you even expect to go, my Queen?”

Aggie frowned. “A place I would rather not go. But they should have answers.”

“But my Queen!”

“Please, Doubt.” Aggie said. “You have to make Christmas happen. Not just for the Guardians, but for the children!”

Doubt looked down, and sighed. “For the children.”


	18. Disease

The wind carried Aggie across the world at a speed it rarely used. If Aggie hadn’t been a spirit the sheer speed would have had her in shreds, let alone the icy temperature of the height they were at.

Aggie didn’t have to tell the wind when they arrived - it knew only too well.

“Thank you.” Aggie murmured as she was set down at the doors to a man-made cavern.

The rock had been chipped to fit perfectly around the tall wooden doors, and a magical heat warded away the snow that would have blocked the entrance.

Swallowing, Aggie approached the doors and knocked.

It didn’t take long before the door was opened by a boy of maybe twelve or thirteen, his eyes skeptcial as he looked Aggie over. “You.” He clipped.

“Hello to you too, Fever.” Aggie greeted. “Is your father home?”

The boy bit his lip. “Yes.” He decided.

“I must speak to him.” Aggie said. “It is urgent.”

The boy didn’t move from the doorway. “He does not forgive you for Normandy.”

“I know.” Aggie sighed. “And I doubt he ever will. But I do not ask this favor for myself.”

Still chewing his lip, the boy grudgingly opened the door for her entry and called inside. “Father! You have a visitor!”

Aggie stepped inside and Fever shut the door behind her.

A man came into the entrance hall, his eyes narrowing when he saw her. “Agony.”

“Disease.” Aggie said, unable to cut the cold from her voice.

They stood in silence a moment.

“Fever, go to your room.” Disease said, eyes not moving from Aggie. “And take your sister with you.”

“Yes sir.” Fever murmured, scurrying off.

Whispers carried from the next room, and Aggie saw Fever again as he herded a girl of about seven across the entrance hall. Their footsteps had come and gone before either adult spoke.

“I need your help.” Aggie said.

“Help?” Disease snorted. “After Normandy, what made you think I would even want to look at you?”

“As I told Fever, I do not ask for myself.” Aggie said. “I ask for every child in this world.”

“Children?” Disease’s face contorted into who knows what expression. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

“It isn’t me, I swear it.” Aggie said. “It’s the Guardians of Childhood.”

“I have no business with the Guardians.” Disease said. “And neither should you. From times of olde we have only survived by staying out of each other’s way - even after being reborn you should understand that.”

“They are gone, Disease!” Aggie said. “The Guardians are missing and it is Pitch Black, I know it!”

“Pitch?” Disease choked on a laugh. “That sorry excuse for a spirit? He couldn’t take the Guardians to save his own life.”

“He had help.” Aggie said. “I don’t know who yet, but they are powerful. Disease,  _ please _ ! He is going to destroy the lives of every child on this earth.”

“And you think I care?”

“Disease, you weaken people, you kill people even, and by the hundreds and thousands upon occasion!” Aggie said. “But that is how you were made - the same way my essence still shoots through people no matter how I would have it not. But I know that somewhere in you there is good, like there was in me.”

“There is good.” Disease said. “It is my choice whether or not to use it.”

“Then choose.” Aggie practically begged. “Choose to be good. Choose if not for the children but for the entire future of this planet. Do you really want Pitch and his unknown friend running the place?”

Disease paused. “You are right about one thing.” He said slowly. “I do not take orders now, and I refuse to ever do so. What do you have so far on Pitch’s…” He sighed, “... _ friend _ .”

“Honestly?” Aggie said. “Almost nothing. I was hoping you could enlighten me, actually.”

“How so?”

“You have more contact with the dark world than I do.” Aggie explained. “I wanted to know if you’d heard anything, talked to anyone, who might have an idea.”

“Well…” Disease said. “Nobody’s  _ said _ anything, it’s rather what the  _ aren’t _ saying that had me confused even before you came. As in, months before.”

“What?”

“Delirium.” Disease said. “Nobody has heard from him since January.”


	19. Now What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doubt explore's North's workshop, Aggie and Disease head for Delirium's warren, and Jack wakes up in a dark room with no clue how he got there...

Doubt had no clue what to do.

“Make Christmas happen!” The spirit grumbled. “How am I supposed to do that! I’ve never orchestrated a holiday before, let alone one of the most celebrated one by children worldwide!”

It didn’t take Doubt long to find North’s workshop, tucked in the very heart of the North Pole, approximately two floors beneath _the Globe Room,_ as Doubt had dubbed it.

It seemed, luckily for Doubt, that North had almost completely finished his toy making. The spirit of qualms drifted around the workshop, and found Santa’s List (a seemingly endless scroll of parchment) partially open across a table.

A feather quill lay across it, the ink smeared a little, set down halfway through the word _naughty_.

North was probably standing there when he vanished - and by vanished, Doubt was now taking the term far more literally. With a sinking feeling the spirit wondered if Aggie had meant it so literally when she used the word.

Had Aggie even seen this?

\---

“Father, where are you going?”

“Just a business trip, Ail. I won’t be long. You listen to your brother now - whatever he says he says to protect you.”

“Yes, father.”

Aggie stared at her boots as Disease told Fever how he didn’t know how long he’d be gone, and to take care of his little sister, and to make sure the doors stayed closed to keep the magical barriers around their cave up…

Aggie wondered if the Agony before her had been that close to Shock at some point. Protective of him. Loving him. Worrying about him. Was Shock the only child Agony had? And even if he was, where was his father?

Upon meeting each spirit of the dark side whom had been friends or at least tolerant of the old Agony, Aggie had made them promise not to tell her of what this spirit had done before.

She hadn’t wanted to dwell on the misdeeds of a dead woman with her face… she had never considered that Agony had been more than misdeeds.

Agony had been a mother. Perhaps a lover.

For the first time in her centuries of life Aggie wondered if she should have tried to find out more about Agony - to find her family, to put them to peace for their lost one, and to let them ease into her use of their loved one’s face.

Maybe if she had done that, she could have turned to them now for help, instead of only contemplating their existence, knowing that if she found them the meeting could hardly be good for anyone’s health.

After Shock’s reaction to seeing her, Aggie felt like there was a weight of metal in her chest, slowly dragging her down.

“To Delirium’s warren, then.” Disease said, his lips drawn into a tight line.

“Yes.” Aggie glanced to where Fever and Ail were settled on a sofa, Fever murmuring into his sister’s hair with his eyes closed. “They’ll be alright.”

“They’ll live.” Disease said stiffly. “But if something happens to them, Aggie, I’m blaming you.”

“I know.” Aggie said quietly. “I… I guess you lead the way?”

“That’s right.” Disease said. “You haven’t even met Delirium, let alone been to his warren.”

“I have only ever met his niece.” Aggie said. “I was cautioned to avoid the spirits of madness.”

“And rightfully so.” Disease sighed. “I myself keep clear of them when I can. Trouble is many sicknesses come with madness. But I keep the contact as clipped as possible.”

Aggie paused. “I would not ask you to do this if I had anyone else to turn to.”

“I know.” Disease said. “Believe me, I know. Come on. We’re wasting time.”

With another glance to the children on the sofa Aggie followed Disease out of his home in the rock and onto the outcrop in the mountain that held the entrance.

“Wind,” Disease said. “Take us to Delirium’s warren.”

\---

Jack opened his eyes to find he could see just as well without doing so - the room was pitch black.

_Pitch Black…_

Jack jolted fully awake and realized how warm he felt. Not quite the disgusting warmth of sickness, but certainly not the usual chill of winter that was supposed to live inside him.

He fought to find the last thing in his memory… North! He was at North’s warren, teasing the elves as he held a plate of cookies out of their reach.

He’d gotten dizzy suddenly, and then…

Then what?

“N-North?” Jack managed.

“Jack?” Tooth’s voice radiated from somewhere to his right. “Jack, is that you?”

“Yeah!” Jack blinked forcefully, as if that might bring light to the curtain of black in from of him. “Tooth, are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine, Jack.” Tooth’s voice trembled slightly. “But I don’t know what’s happening. I was sorting through the teeth at my warren and then… I don’t know! I just woke up here!”

“Me too.” Jack said. “I - do you hear that?”

“I don’t… wait… oh my gosh is that… wings?”

“They’re coming closer.” Jack hissed.

And they were - dozens upon dozen of wings fluttering closer and closer...


	20. Paranoia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gods I am so sorry I have been TERRIBLE at updating! I've just had so much going on lately and to be honest I'd more or less forgotten about this story - first thing to know about me, I have a terrible memory when it comes to things like this. But I hope you like this chapter!

Delirium's warren was woven deep within the Paris underground.

Disease assured they were on the correct path, but Aggie didn’t know how he could be sure.

The grisly catacombs was not a surprising place to house a spirit of darkness, but Aggie yet wondered why other spirits couldn’t just as easily make warrens out of two-bedroom apartments or community gymnasiums or at least someplace that didn’t have three-thousand year old skulls stacked along the walls like cans of soup at a grocery store. It was more than a little bit disturbing.

“How deep is the warren exactly?” Aggie asked.

“It is not deep.” Disease said. “It is not… anywhere that is relatively explainable.”

“So the humans cannot reach it.” Aggie nodded in understanding. “Still, how much farther from us is it?”

“Not much farther.” Disease said.

Apparently that was all the answer Aggie was going to get. She resigned herself to the company of echoing footfalls and crudely arranged bones.

The catacombs were enveloped in a hollowing darkness, but as soon as they left the surface Disease had surrounded himself with a glistening silver aura which Aggie was almost scared to ask the contents of.

Whether he’d constructed it from screaming souls or LED christmas lights, it was more than bright enough to guide their way through the corridors of the dead.

The pair turned a corner and were met with a singular arched door, solid black in color with a brass mail slot at knee height. Disease stepped up to it and pressed a finger to the matching brass doorbell his aura illuminated.

After three minutes of no response, Disease tried the handle - it turned.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Aggie asked.

“It’s obviously a very bad idea.” Disease said flatly.

“Then why do you look like you’re going to open the door anyway?”

“Because,” there was almost a bitter edge to his voice, “Reasons.”

“That’s not a valid-” Aggie began, but the door was already opened.

No sooner had the fast-moving slab of wood made a ninety-degree swing did a wave of vibrant purple burst through.

Disease only stumbled, though, and by the time it reached Aggie it was but a mildly chilly breeze.

Standing several meters inside the warren was a girl of maybe thirteen, feet braced, arms raised in a fighting position, purple injury flickering weakly around her clenched fists.

The girl stared at them a long moment, her large, fearful eyes dancing with confusion. She squinted slightly at Disease, as if it were hard for her to see him through his aura.

“Dis...Disease?” She whispered.

“It’s me, I swear.” Disease straightened his jacket, eyebrows narrowed in something close to irritation. “Why is your door unlocked?”

The girl unfurled her fists, rather stiffly, and flicked a hand. At the movement lights clicked on all around her, illuminating the large, seaside-themed kitchen she stood in. “I do not know.” She said.

Disease nodded slowly. “May we come in?”

The girl nodded, frowning as Aggie’s cautious steps followed Disease over the threshold. “Your friend.” She said.

“This is Aggie.” Disease said. “No doubt your father has told you of her.”

“He has.” The girl said quietly.

“Aggie,” Disease caught the spirit of pain’s confused expression. “This is Paranoia, Delirium’s daughter.” He looked back to the girl. “What exactly is wrong with your door now?”

“I am unsure.” Paranoia said. “Father has left me home alone many times but the boundaries have always stayed at full power. When he left this time… it wasn’t but days before everything started going wrong. The windows won’t shut and the door won’t lock and I can feel the walls melting away around me… Please understand, Disease - I would not have attacked you if I had not believed you were here to kill me.”

“That much I know.” Disease murmured.

“No offence,” Aggie said. “But you are young. Your power is obviously undeveloped. If we had been here to kill you, there is not much you could have done to stop us.”

“The wave that hit us was not meant to physically harm us.” Disease dismissed. “It was meant to seed in our minds.” His eyes cut to Paranoia. “You have withdrawn it, yes?”

“Of course!” Paranoia cried. “I removed the plant the moment I knew it was you!”

“Good.” Disease said. “The last thing I need is  _ that _ worming around in my head.”

“What exactly does  _ that _ do?” Aggie wondered.

“You don’t want to know.” Paranoia and Disease said at exactly the same time, giving her exactly the same look.

“Okay.” Aggie decided. “I don’t want to know.”

With an approving nod Disease returned his eyes to Paranoia. “How long ago did your father leave?”

“At the start of January.” Paranoia said. “He told me he didn’t know how long he would be. Something had him shaken, that much I knew. He left rather in a rush. When the boundaries started collapsing… I knew I should leave before it came down completely but I just couldn’t think of where to go…”

There were tears in the teenage spirit’s eyes. Eyes of a vibrant violet like her power. Eyes that were already too large for the small, pale face before they had been painted with winged eyeliner silver eyeshadow.

Aggie reevaluated the girl’s appearance. The closest words she had to describe the girl’s attire was goth, but that wasn’t right. The studded choker and black combat boots and fingerless gloves certainly pushed towards it, but there was far too much color.

Paranoia’s tee shirt was a bright yellow, her jeans a stunning teal and looped with an overly-flashy canvas rainbow belt. A rainbow jogging headband peeked through her messy sable hair.

Aggie didn’t notice there had been a conversation yet excluding her until the object of her scrutinization moved out of sight, leaving the kitchen through a doorway to the right.

“Where’s she going?” Aggie frowned.

“Packing.” Disease said - Aggie found that he too had moved. The spirit of sickness was going through a stack of unopened letters on the kitchen counter.

“Spirits can get mail?” Aggie stared.

“Apparently.” Disease chewed his lip. “Who from, I haven’t the slightest idea though.”

“Return address?” Aggie maneuvered around the kitchen island to peer around her ‘friend’s’ shoulder.

“No,” Disease held a particular envelope longer than he had the rest. “This one has been opened. It’s the only one, though.”

“Well?” Aggie prodded his arm gently.

Digging his teeth deeper into his bottom lip, Disease pried the envelope open and tugged out what looked suspiciously like a wedding invitation.

It was on thick paper with fancy patterns pressed into it, flowing silver script printing a date and time and a friendly suggestion to  _ RSVP _ , but nothing else.

Disease flipped it over - it was blank. It did not open like a card, either. It was a single, rather uninformative, slip of paper.

“No location.” Aggie noted softly.

“No description.” Disease added, a little less softly. “No, ‘we’re inviting you to’ - no, ‘please bring’ - just… wrong.”

“What about the others?” Aggie wondered.

Her eyes met Disease’s only a moment before they both reached, each for a second envelope.

They were the same. Two more invitations, on that same crisp, white paper in that same flowing, silver script.

The spirits exchanged another glance, and reached for two more envelopes - twenty-three envelopes later, the pair had a stack of matching invitations to an unknown event.

“This is… unsettling.” Aggie said.

“To say the least.” Disease muttered. “Paranoia said her father was out of sorts when he left. Perhaps this was part of it.”

“What was part of what?” Paranoia appeared back in the kitchen, a bright green knapsack hung over her right shoulder.

Disease held up the stack of invitations. “What is this?”

Paranoia blinked. “You opened father’s mail.”

“Your father could be in danger.” Aggie said. “And to be fair… one was already open.”

“I… I opened that one.” Paranoia looked down. “I couldn’t help it. They’d been coming everyday ever since father installed the mail slot in August and they were all the same and he never showed me what was inside and I just-”

“August?” Disease looked to Aggie. “These things have been coming since  _ August _ ?”

“Slightly more than unsettling now.” Aggie whispered.

“The date on it is two days after he left home.” Paranoia said helpfully. “But there’s-”

“No location.” Disease finished. “No anything.”

“I’m scared.” Paranoia murmured. “My father has always been secretive but he has never been afraid - or at least not that he ever let me see. And the boundaries are breaking and I fear it means-”

“Let’s not contemplate.” Disease said. “You have all your things?”

Paranoia nodded, giving her knapsack a little shake.

“You remember the way, I trust?” Disease asked.

Again, Paranoia nodded.

Disease crossed to her, and she bowed her head, closing her eyes as he lightly tapped her forehead like it was a ritual they had been though many a time.

“You have three hours before the cloak wears off.” Disease warned her. “Be inside before then.”

“I will.” Paranoia smiled weakly, tears yet again making a glossy sheen over her large eyes. She started towards the door, then, after a moment’s hesitation, trotted back and hugged Disease.

The spirit of sickness froze, seeming to forget to breathe. He stayed as such a solid minute after Paranoia released him and vanished out the front door into the catacombs.

“Di...Disease?” Aggie resisted the urge to poke him. “Are you… okay?”

All at once Disease shook himself, steeling his stunned expression over with an overly neutral one. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”

Aggie wondered when the last time anyone besides his own children had dared touch him, let alone  _ hug _ him. She decided it best, however, to change the subject - they were on something of a mission here.

“Where did you send her?” She asked.

“My home.” Disease said stiffly. “She’s been there a few times before - the boundaries will allow her entry. She will be safe there until we sort this out.”

“That was…” Aggie swallowed. “Very kind of you.”

Disease shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “I couldn’t leave her alone in a potentially collapsing warren. Delirium would have my head if I did.”

It was pointless. Whatever heart Disease had, he refused to acknowledge it, no matter how it demanded itself a presence. He would need some time.

_ He’s had centuries. _ A little voice in Aggie’s mind reminded.

_ And now he has a reason. _ Aggie told it. _ Let it happen. _


	21. Things are Heating Up at the North Pole

Doubt squinted at the sorry-excuse for handwriting while munching on a cookie that had been sitting rather invitingly on top of the world’s largest roll of ribbon. “Lucy Beckett.” The spirit muttered, being careful not to spit crumbs on the presumably precious scroll. “There must be a thousand Lucy Becketts in the United States alone! How am I supposed to know which one gets what?”

Annoyed, Doubt took another bite of cookie and rolled to another section of  _ The List _ . “How are there  _ this _ many kids on the nice list!” The spirit complained. “There is not a little boy I ever saw who hasn’t put gum in sister’s hair.”

Apparently that was not a great enough offence to make the naughty list though, as the nice list rolled on and on until Doubt thought their eyes would burn out.

“Forget it.” Doubt tossed the list aside, stuffing the last bit of cookie into their mouth as they stood from the red-and-green-striped armchair. “Let’s pretend all the presents are ready and get on with it. Those reindeer better know where they are goi-”

Doubt froze as they remembered something. There. Were. No. Reindeer.

They were gone. Vanished from the stables as surely as Santa had vanished from his workshop.

“Well.” Doubt stated to a silent room. “Things just got more complicated.”


End file.
